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Cray’s Undervalued Assets: An Oral History of the Working Women at Cray Research Project Files, 2025

 Collection
Identifier: University Historical Collection 002

Content Description

Former employees of Cray Research, Inc. in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, from between 1972-1996, were invited to participate in a research study conducted by Dylan Helwig, a history student at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, during the summer of 2025. The project materials from this study include physical and digital materials. The physical materials from the interviews include informed consent forms, signed release of rights and interview donation agreements, interview transcriptions of the digital audio recordings, and a cookbook created and sold by Cray Research employees, Cray Style Cookin’, 1992. The digital materials from the interviews include WAV file audio recordings of the interviews and digital PDF files of the interview transcripts, which were transcribed using the Otter.ai program.

Dates

  • Creation: Project Date: 2025
  • Creation: Materials Date: 1992, 2025

Creator

Access Restrictions

Collection is open to the public.

Use Restrictions

Researchers are responsible for using in accordance with 17 U.S.C. Copyright owned by the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire.

Biographical/Historical Note

Former employees of Cray Research, Inc. in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, from between 1972-1996, were invited to participate in this research study conducted by Dylan Helwig, a history student at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, during the summer of 2025. The study was part of Helwig’s undergraduate research under the supervision of Dr. Joanne Jahnke-Wegner at the university. Participation in the study was voluntary. The purpose of the research was to create audio recordings of the experiences of women working at Cray Research. The tech industry has largely been constructed as a masculine world, often to the exclusion of women. Women play a major role in the manufacturing process, but their labor has been rendered invisible in the popular consciousness. Benefits of this study will provide insights into the history of women in the tech manufacturing industry.

Extent

0.2 Linear Feet (1/2 archives box)

?? Gigabytes (#? files, #? folders)

Language of Materials

English

Summary

Oral histories conducted by UW-Eau Claire history student Dylan Helwig during 2025, of former employees of Cray Research, Inc. in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, from between 1972-1996. The purpose of the research was to create audio recordings of the experiences of women working at Cray Research. Includes interviews, interview transcripts, and a 1992 cookbook.

Acquisition Information

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Accession Number

26-009

Reference Code

UHC002

Processing Note

Processed by Julie Hatfield in March 2026.

Status
In Progress
Author
Julie Hatfield
Date
April 27, 2025
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Special Collections and Archives, McIntyre Library, UW-Eau Claire Repository

Contact:
Special Collections and Archives, McIntyre Library
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
103 Garfield Avenue
Eau Claire WI 54701 United States
715-836-2739